FAMILY CULICID.T: THE MOSQUITOES 85 



The mosquitoes are too well known to require hints as to where they 

 may be found although it may be well to remark that a "swatted" 

 mosquito does not make a suitable study specimen. Despite the fact 

 that these flies are not altogether fi'agile it is nevertheless true thai 

 most specimens in collections are in poor condition because the pre- 

 servation of the insects in good state depends upon care in handling 

 immediately after capture. Few specimens should be placed in a killing 

 bottle and they should be mounted while fresh. All but the very small 

 species should be pinned on fine steel pins and not mounted on points; 

 the small ones should be fastened on the sides of pins, using a ring of 

 white shellac. With careful collecting, care in pinning and proper 

 preservation, a collection of these insects may be very attractive. Many 

 of the adults are extremely beautiful although it must be admitted 

 that most of those in the Nearetie region do not go in for fine colors : 

 in the tropics many of the species are clothed in nature's most beautiful 

 colors. 



All mosquitoes are not injurious and many of them do not bite. 

 Some are predaceous upon other mosquitoes in the larval stage and this 

 is true of the Chaoboringe, which should, perhaps, be ranked as a dis- 

 tinct family, since they almost entirely lack scales. Their larvJB are 

 called ''Phantoms" because they are practically colorless. 



So much has been written about mosquitoes during the present 

 century that it would be impossible to review the entire literature in 

 the space available but mention may be made of two books which will 

 furnish a basis for intensive study for anyone interested. ]\Iatheson's 

 "Handbook of the Mosquitoes of North America" deals with most of 

 the species occurring in the ITnited States and Canada and gives a 

 thorough resume of the medical and control aspects of the subject. 

 Dyar's "Tlie Mosquitoes of the Americas" deals entirely Avith the tax- 

 onomy of the group, but the descriptions are too brief and often omit 

 important details: nevertheless it is an indispensable work nnd Avitli 

 careful study and use of the figures will be found fairly- satisfactory. 



I may say that the Culicida' are one of the most important fam- 

 ilies of the Diptera insofar as human welfare is concerned. The 

 diseases carried by them are not only lethal but cause extreme suffering 

 and agony. Without doul:)t a much more extensive account of these 

 insects might well be included in this work but space does not permit. 



The diseases known to be transmitted by mosquitoes are Malaria. 

 Blacl'wafer Fever, Yellow Fever, Dcngv.c, Filariasis, Bird Malaria and 

 Fowl-pox. Of these ]\Ialaria and Yellow Fever are the most widely dis- 

 tributed and much has been written about them. In at least the first 

 five both the mosquito and man are essential in the life cycle of the 



